1845 $5 Half Eagle PCGS MS62 CAC. The Philadelphia half eagles from the 1840s and 1850s are usually overlooked because of the more popular branch Mint issues. Usually regarded as common dates in all grades, collectors are often surprised with the rarity of these pieces in higher grades. After all, mintages were fairly high, and it is known that gold coins were not much seen in commerce at the time. Yet, many have been exported and were subsequently melted, and those that did survive often have seen some circulation through out the years. As a result, problem-free uncirculated pieces with good eye-appeal are surprisingly hard to find.

With a relatively large mintage of 417,099 pieces, this issue had a relative large turnout for the period. Yet, not a single piece is known which has been graded gem by the major grading companies, and in lower mint state grades it is difficult to find as well. Many have been cleaned, were weakly struck or just lack the eye-appeal which has been increasingly hard to find during the last few years.

Offered here is a coin which can proof otherwise. A magnificent strong strike, prooflike surfaces and light yellow color adds to the eye-appeal and originality of this particular piece. Stickered by CAC for exceptional quality, we can not argue at all, and this piece looks extremely PQ. The fields are clean for the grade, with no distracting marks on either side, making this a great coin for a date set.